'We live on Benefits Street - crime is so bad we have to booby-trap our plants'

15 July 2023 , 16:36

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Steve Haywood, a roofer who has lived on James Turner Street for more than 20 years, says he has booby-trapped his plant pots

Benefits Street residents have complained thieving on the infamous road is now so bad the plants are booby-trapped.

James Turner Street in Birmingham hit the headlines in 2014 thanks to a Controversial Channel 4 documentary which followed the lives of residents - 90% of whom were living on benefits.

Nine years on, residents claim the street is plagued by anti-social behaviour, with thefts now so prevalent, plants outside home are being booby-trapped.

Steve Haywood, a roofer who has lived on James Turner Street for more than 20 years, says he has booby-trapped his plant pots, explaining how criminal and anti-social behaviour escalated since the documentary aired.

He said: "Things were getting that bad on the street we were having plant pots etc stolen during the night. We resorted to booby trapping the hanging baskets.

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"We’ve had to move out, we were constantly getting trouble with fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour."

The fly-on-the-wall documentary followed a year in the lives of residents of James Turner Street in Winson Green, Birmingham.

Steve went on to explain how the street is also plagued by dumped rubbish left to rot and pile up in the street - adding that he has even witnessed drug deals in broad daylight, reports The Sun.

The documentary thrust many of the residents into the public eye - some heavily criticised for their lifestyle choices.

Dee, known as White Dee on the show, was one of the most controversial stars of the 2014 series.

Pictures show the disgusting state of Benefits Street - with fly-tipping piled high next to homes on the former TV set (Alicia Wingfield facebook)

She was a larger-than-life mother figure on James Turner Street, in Birmingham where many of the residents claimed benefits.

After being thrust into the limelight thanks to her appearance on the show she appeared on numerous political debates to discuss claiming benefits - and even later starred in Big Brother

In 2021, she told Birmingham Live in an interview: "It was just a crazy crazy time. My life was turned upside down and I just wasn't expecting it.

"Benefits Street caused such a storm and the people in James Turner Street were shocked by it and totally overwhelmed.

Steve demonstrates his booby-trapped hanging basket

Steve went on to explain how the street is also plagued by dumped rubbish left to rot and pile up in the street

"A swarm of journalists descended on James Turner Street, not just from the UK but all over the world."

She ended up moving out of James Turner Street not long after the show and moved to another area.

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Dee admitted she missed the people from her old road and said she felt sad the show totally transformed her life.

Dee said: "The show ripped apart my life at the time. It changed my life forever and it destroyed the James Turner Street I knew before the show.

Abigail O'Leary